CARY, N.C. - Three home runs highlighted the third day of the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars as Free and Pride claimed spots in Saturday's gold-medal games with victories on Thursday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

Free got back-to-back home runs from Jarred Kelenic (Waukesha, Wis.) and Rece Hinds (Niceville, Fla.) in the seventh inning and withstood a furious rally by Brave in the ninth to edge out a 9-7 triumph.

In the afternoon contest, three Pride pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout to make a three-run third inning stand up in a 3-0 victory.

The two teams will square off in the TOS gold-medal contest at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Brave and United will play the bronze-medal game at 9 a.m. that same day.

Free 9, Brave 7

The Free squad raced out of the gate on Thursday, plating three runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Kelenic and Hinds added to the lead with consecutive solo longballs in the seventh as Free took a 9-1 advantage into the ninth.

That proved to be just enough as a two-run home run by Adrian Del Castillo (Miami, Fla.) sparked a six-run rally that cut Brave's deficit to just two runs. Bobby Witt, Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) took the mound to record the game's final out and preserve the victory for Free, however.

Hinds, Kelenic, Witt, and Carter Young (Selah, Wash.) all had two hits in the game for Free with Hinds recording a tournament-high four RBIs in the contest.

Pride 3, United 0

A pair of Lone Star State natives helped pitch Pride to the gold-medal game as Simeon Richardson (Houston, Texas) and Jonathan Childress (Forney, Texas) each fired four scoreless frames.

Richardson started the game and allowed just one hit while striking out three while Childress fanned six and yielded a pair of hits before handing the ball over to McNair-Seigler who pitched a perfect ninth to earn the save.

Offensively, all three Pride runs were scored in the fourth thanks to a United error and RBI singles from Jeremiah Jackson (Mobile, Ala.) and Christian Robinson (Melbourne, Fla.).

The USA Baseball Tournament of Stars (TOS) is made up of 80 of the nation's best ballplayers that are international age-eligible for 18U National Team consideration (born in 1999 or later). Following the conclusion of the Tournament of Stars, the 40-man Trials roster will be announced on Monday, July 10, during the 2017 MLB All-Star Fanfest festivities in Miami, Florida.

Those 40 players will then compete in USA Baseball's 18U National Team trials process in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August for a spot on the final 20-man roster which will travel to Thunder Bay, Canada for the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 World Cup, Sept. 1-10. Team USA is the three-time defending World Cup champion and will look to become the second country to win four-straight gold medals in the tournament.

QUOTEABLE:18U National Team Director Matt Blood:
"There have been a lot of good arms and we've thrown a lot of strikes which is great. We haven't seen a whole lot of walks which really helps keep the games going. It is a testament to the advanced pitchability that these guys have. The hitters started out slow but they have started to catch up and get their timing. They are getting used to some of the velocities we have been seeing with mid-90s arms over and over. There are a lot of tools out there defensively, a lot of guys who can run and throw. We saw some power today, which was awesome. We've had a lot of fun and are really excited about this group of players."

USA Baseball Reveals 2018 18U National Team Trials Roster

18U National Team Trials to begin June 24, in Cary, North Carolina

June 23, 2018

CARY, N.C. - Following the conclusion of the 2018 Tournament of Stars (TOS), USA Baseball revealed the 2018 18U National Team Trials roster. Forty-three players selected to this year's trials roster from TOS hail from 17 states across the country.

The 18U National Team Trials will begin on Sunday, June 24, and will consist of, workouts, three intrasquad Stars vs. Stripes games and a double header against the 2018 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team on Tuesday, June 26. All five games will be streamed live on USABaseball.com and Facebook.com/USABaseball, and select games will be available on MLB.com and YouTube.

The final 20-man 18U National Team will be named later in the fall before competing in the 2018 COPABE Pan American "AAA" Championships in Panama City, Panama, from November 23-December 2.

The 18U team will be looking for its fifth consecutive Pan Am Championships gold medal in 2018. The program has won seven straight international tournament titles dating back to 2011, including winning the last four World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cups in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

"We had a great week [at the Tournament of Stars]. Everybody that was here was here for a reason, everybody had skill sets that could help this team win," 18U National Team Director, Matt Blood, said. "But at the end of the day, we're only allowed a certain number of players and decisions had to be made. It was hard to make those decisions, but we took the guys we felt would give us the best chance for success in the future and we're excited about the guys that we have."

The trials roster features 10 USA Baseball alumni, including five athletes who have suited up for the red, white and blue on multiple occasions. Carter Young (Selah, Wash.) returns to the 18U program after winning a gold medal in 2017.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Masyn Winn (Kingwood, Texas) are also looking to represent Team USA for the second year in a row, after winning COPABE Pan American "AA" Championships gold with the 2017 15U National Team. Crow-Armstrong and Winn are two of nine 15U National Team alumni looking to represent the U.S. again in 2018.

In addition to national team alumni, the roster also includes 16 players that have participated in the USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP). The NTDP offers identified athletes an opportunity to connect with USA Baseball staff to better prepare for a future national team experience.

The athletes selected for the 18U National Team Trials are chosen from the previous year's 17U NTDP, the USA Baseball 17U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) and the Tournament of Stars.

American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Famer Jack Leggett will lead the 18U National Team in 2018. He will be joined on staff by Pitching Coach Scott Bankhead and Assistant Coaches Joe Almaraz and Gregg Ritchie.

For more information on the 18U National Team and the selection process, please visit USABaseball.com or follow along on Twitter, at @USABaseball18U.

CARY, N.C. - The power finally showed up at the 2018 Tournament of Stars on Saturday as Brave claimed the gold medal. Brave defeated United 14-8 to claim this year's title behind two home runs from Rece Hinds (Valparaiso, Fla.) and one from Austin Hendrick (Oakdale, Pa.).

In the first game of the day, Free and Pride battled their way to a stalemate. Despite going to extra innings, the two teams finished their tournament run with a 4-4 tie.

Gold Medal Game: BRAVE 14, UNITED 8

After a quiet start to the game for both teams, United was the first to break through in the bottom of the third inning.

The team strung together a walk and two singles to load the bases with no outs before Jared Jones (Whittier, Calif.) came through with the game's first RBI on a groundout to plate the first run. A two-RBI double by Matt McCormick (Orland Park, Ill.) made it a 3-0 game for United.

But just one frame later, Brave made up the deficit and then some. The team loaded the bases for Hinds, who launched a ball over the left-center field wall for a grand slam and the 4-3 lead.

United took the lead back in the bottom half, pushing three across for a 6-4 lead, before Brave struck the big blow in the sixth inning. Hinds cleared the wall again with a two-run shot to tie things up and the team then scored three more to take a commanding 9-6 lead.

A huge solo home run by Austin Hendrick to leadoff the top of the seventh and four more runs in the eighth put the game away for Brave.

Hinds, Hendrick and Sammy Siani (Glenside, Pa.) led the Brave offense in the victory. Hinds finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a tournament-high seven RBI, while Hendrick collected two hits, two RBI, three runs scored and a walk. Siani also tallied two hits on the day.

Christian Cairo (Clearwater, Fla.) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) were United's leaders at the plate. Cairo went 2-for-3 with a RBI and three runs scored, while Crow-Armstrong finished with 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run.

Third Place Game: FREE 4, PRIDE 4

The 2018 TOS third place game finished in a tie behind some strong pitching performances to start the day.

Pride's Michael Doolin (Schererville, Ind.) got the start on Saturday and gave up just one hit and no walks while striking out two in three innings.

The team's offense was the first on the board in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of a Jerrion Ealy (Carthage, Miss.) leadoff single and Hylan Hall (Ocoee, Fla.) double to push the game's first run across. The team added one more in the inning for a 2-0 lead.

A couple insurances runs in the bottom of the third gave the team a 4-0 lead, but it didn't last long.

Free came storming back quickly in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with one out for Sammy Faltine (Richmond, Texas). The shortstop coaxed a walk to force in one run before a RBI groundout and a two-RBI double evened things up 4-4.

Neither team could get anything going after that though. Four Free pitchers combined to give up just four hits and four walks in the last seven innings, while Pride's four relievers allowed just one hit after the fourth inning.

On the offensive end, Nate Rombach (Arlington, Texas) had the best day at the plate for Free, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) and Glenallen Hill Jr. (Santa Cruz, Calif.) collected two hits each for Pride.

The USA Baseball Tournament of Stars (TOS) is the primary identification event for the 2018 USA Baseball 18U National Team that will compete in the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships from November 23-December 2 in Panama.

The TOS is made up of 80 of the nation's best ballplayers that are international age-eligible for 18U National Team consideration (born in 2000 or later). Following the conclusion of the event on Saturday, June 23, the 40-man 18U National Team Trials roster will be announced at 6 p.m. ET.

Following the announcement, the 40 players selected will participate in a five-game trials process to determine the final 20-man roster that will compete in the 2018 COPABE Pan American "AAA" Championships in Panama City, Panama, November 23-December 2. The final 18U National Team roster will be announced in the fall.

CARY, N.C. - Pitching was the name of the game on the fourth day of the 2018 Tournament of Stars at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

All four teams got strong starts on the mound but United's Kale Davis (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Brave's Davis Rokose (Johns Creek, Ga.) ruled the day as they led their teams to victory.

Davis went five strong innings without allowing a run or walk to pace United's 8-2 win over Pride, allowing just two hits and striking out six. In Brave's 6-0 defeat of Free, Rokose gave up only three hits and one walk in four innings of work.

With wins on Thursday, both Brave and United have secured spots in the 2018 Tournament of Stars gold medal game on Saturday, June 23.

BRAVE 6, FREE 0

In the day's first game, Brave clinched its place in the gold medal game by shutting out Free, 6-0, behind Davis' stellar outing.

Free's Jack Leiter (Summit, N.J.) also put together a strong start on the bump to hold off Brave's offense in the first half of the game. He allowed just three hits and no walks, while striking out four in the first four innings.

Brave finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. With two on and two out, Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) came up with his first clutch hit of the day to drive in one and give Brave a 1-0 lead. But the team's big blow came in the sixth.

Andre Tarver (Ringgold, Ga.) got a leadoff double to get things started for the squad and it ran away with the momentum, piling on five runs to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Sammy Siani (Glenside, Pa.), Logan Tanner (Lucedale, Miss.), Carroll and Anthony Volpe (Watchung, N.J.) all collected hits in the inning, while Masyn Winn (Kingwood, Texas), Carter Young (Selah, Wash.), Carroll and Volpe tallied RBI.

From the mound, Hunter Barco (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Mac Horvath (Rochester, Minn.) backed up that strong offensive output to close it out and secure the win. Barco tossed four innings, giving up just four hits and one walk, while Horvath pitched a perfect ninth inning.

Nasim Nunez (Lawrenceville, Ga.), who racked up three hits in the game, carried the offense for Free in the game.

UNITED 8, PRIDE 2

United claimed a 8-2 win over Pride in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader with its own strong pitching and explosive late offense.

Davis's dominating performance on the mound set the pace for the game early on but United's offense couldn't break through against Pride starter Josh Hahn (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who tossed three strong innings of his own without giving up a run.

United found its groove in the fourth though. The squad put one run on the board in the top of the fourth before scoring in three of the next five innings to put the game out of reach.

The biggest dent came in the top of the seventh when United scored four runs to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

Dilan Rosario-Otero (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) led off the inning with a quick single up the middle before he came around to score from first on a Kurtis Bryne (Chesterfield, Mo.) double to right-center. Three more singles and a wild pitch did the rest of the damage in the inning.

Pride worked to put a rally together in the final three innings, scoring once in both the seventh and eighth on a Kyren Paris (Oakley, Calif.) single and a Michael Carpentier (Highland, Calif.) sacrifice fly, respectively. But that was all they would manage as United added two more runs in the ninth to put the game away.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) had a day at the plate for United in the win, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a double, while Paris led Pride's offense, going 2-for-4 with a RBI.

The 2018 Tournament of Stars continues on Friday with an evaluation day at the National Training Complex, followed on Saturday by the third-place game at 9:30 a.m. ET and the gold-medal game at 12:30 p.m. ET on Coleman Field.

CARY, N.C. - Day three of the 2018 Tournament of Stars featured everything from a ninth inning rally that fell just short to a pitcher's duel and the first home run of this year's event.

Brave withstood a rally from United to start the day off with a 4-3 win and finish the first half of the tournament with a 1-1 record.

Pride remains the only unbeaten team at the halfway point of this year's TOS after the team came out on top of a pitcher's duel with a 5-1 defeat of Free. Pride's Jerrion Ealy (Carthage, Miss.) was the first player of the year to leave Coleman Field, smacking a dinger over the left field wall.

BRAVE 4, UNITED 3

An eighth and ninth inning rally wasn't enough for United as Brave held on to claim a 4-3 win in the first game of day three's TOS doubleheader.

After falling in its first game of the tournament on Tuesday, Brave took control of the contest immediately on Wednesday.

Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) got things started for the squad in the bottom of the first with a leadoff ground-rule double. A wild pitch brought him across before a Joe Naranjo (Chino, Calif.) RBI single made it 2-0 in Brave's favor.

The team strung together a double, triple and single to add two more in the bottom of the fifth and take a commanding 4-0 lead, which they held onto until the eighth.

Down to its last six outs, United finally broke through in the eighth inning, using two singles and a fielder's choice to score the team's first run of the day. And it kept that momentum going into the ninth.

A leadoff walk to Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.) came around to score and a Kurtis Bryne (Chesterfield, Mo.) RBI single plated one more to make it a one-run game. But that's all they would manage as Brave's Logan Tanner (Lucedale, Miss.) got two strikeouts to end the rally and seal Brave's victory.

PRIDE 5, FREE 1

The second game of the day started out as a pitcher's duel with both Pride and Free's starters going five strong innings. It also featured the first homerun of the 2018 Tournament of Stars.

In Avery Short's (Indianapolis, Ind.) five innings for Free, he gave up just one hit, no runs and no walks while racking up eight strikeouts. On the other side, Jacob Meador (Burleson, Texas) did not allow a single hit or run through his five innings.

The offense finally took over in the sixth though with Free breaking through for the first run of the game. But Pride turned in an immediate answer to tie things up in the seventh.

Pride then added two more in each of the next two innings to secure the 5-1 victory. One of those runs came courtesy of a solo shot from Ealy that went over the left field wall and marked the only homerun of the event so far.

CJ Abrams (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Coleman Brigman (San Jose, Calif.) led the offense for the Pride team on Wednesday. Both players tallied a RBI and a run scored and Abrams finished 2-for-5, while Brigman went 2-for-4.

Sammy Faltine (Richmond, Texas) had a day at the plate for Free, racking up two hits and a RBI.

The 2018 Tournament of Stars continues on Thursday with another doubleheader on Coleman Field at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The first game of the day will feature Brave and Free at 10 a.m. ET, followed by Pride vs. United at 2 p.m. ET.

CARY, N.C. - The second day of the 2018 Tournament of Stars (TOS) kicked off on Tuesday with two games at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

In the first game of the day, Pride came out on top 5-4 in a back and forth contest with Brave to open up the 2018 event.

Brave and Pride traded leads through the first four innings before Brave claimed its second lead of the game in the sixth courtesy of a Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Wash.) RBI knock. Carroll had a strong showing for the Brave, finishing the game 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored.

Brave added one more to the lead in the top of the seventh but Pride came storming back in the bottom half.

The squad had the bases loaded with two outs when an error allowed one run to score and brought up Michael Doolin (Schererville, Ind.). Doolin laced a single to center that played two runs and gave Pride a 5-4 lead that it wouldn't relinquish.

Tyler Callihan (Neptune Beach, Fla.) led the way offensively for Pride, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Jared Kelley (Refugio, Texas) went three strong innings for Pride after getting the start on the mound, allowing just one run on one hit and striking out three.

The second game of the day was a much more one-sided affair, as United dominated Free through much of the contest to claim a 7-2 victory.

Will Rigney (Waco, Texas), who started on the bump for United, and Victor Mederos (Miami, Fla.) combined to shut out Free in the first seven innings. Together, they allowed just three hits and no runs while striking out five.

On the offensive end, United took the lead in the second inning and never looked back, plating runs in all but three innings of the contest.

That showing was highlighted by Riley Greene (Oviedo, Fla.), who finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and three walks, and Matt McCormick (Orland Park, Ill.), who had two RBI and a run scored in the game.

The Tournament of Stars will continue with another doubleheader on Wednesday with Brave and United set to square off at 10:15 a.m. ET and a Free-Pride matchup scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Coleman Field.

The USA Baseball Tournament of Stars (TOS) is the primary identification event for the 2018 USA Baseball 18U National Team that will compete in the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships from November 23-December 2 in Panama.

The TOS is made up of 80 of the nation's best ballplayers that are international age-eligible for 18U National Team consideration (born in 2000 or later). Following the conclusion of the event on Saturday, June 23, the 40-man 18U National Team Trials roster will be announced.

USA Baseball Tournament of Stars Begins Monday, June 18

Primary identification event for the 2018 18U National Team to be held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex

June 18, 2018

USA Baseball invites the local and national media to the 2018 USA Baseball Tournament of Stars.

The USA Baseball Tournament of Stars (TOS) is the primary identification event for the 2018 USA Baseball 18U National Team that will compete in the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships from November 23-December 2 in Panama. The TOS is made up of 80 of the nation's best ballplayers that are international age-eligible for 18U National Team consideration (born in 2000 or later). Following the conclusion of the event on Saturday, June 23, the 40-man 18U National Team Trials roster will be announced.

The 18U National Team program started in 1987 as the USA Baseball Junior National Team competing in the World Youth Baseball Championships. Since then the 18U National Team has been a perennial power on the international baseball scene. The team competes in two major events in bi-yearly cycles - the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup. In 2017, Team USA went undefeated to claim its fourth WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup title in a row and give the program its seventh consecutive gold medal in international competition. The program has also won five straight COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships titles and will look to add a sixth in 2018.

Credential Application

Members of the media can apply for a credential by visiting the USA Baseball Media Services page on the official website here.

TOS Participants in the Draft

Following a season in which the 18U National Team earned its fourth consecutive World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup title, ten members of the 20-man roster were selected in the first round in 2018. All ten of those players participated in the 2017 Tournament of Stars.

From the Tournament of Stars to the Major Leagues

There are currently 33 players in the Major Leagues that have suited up for the red, white and blue as members of the 18U National Team, with the majority of those having participated in the Tournament of Stars en route to Team USA. Current Major Leaguers Joey Gallo, Bryce Harper, Francisco Lindor, Manny Machado and Blake Swihart all played in the Tournament of Stars before wearing the USA jersey as 18U players.

USA Baseball Coverage

Live stats: StatCrew/SideArm SportsSocial Media:@USABaseball18U (Twitter) and @USABaseball (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat)Streaming/TV: The gold and bronze medal games on Saturday, June 23, will be broadcast live on USABaseball.com, MLB.com, and Facebook Live

Participating Players and Schedule

Eighty of the nation's best ballplayers that are international age-eligible for 18U National Team consideration (born in 2000 or later) are participating in the 2018 event.

For the full schedule, please visit the 18U National Team page on USABaseball.com.

USA Baseball Announces 2018 Tournament of Stars Staff

Coaches and task force will lead 80 athletes through week of games and workouts

April 25, 2018

DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball announced the coaching staff and task force that will lead 80 of the nation's best 18-and-under players in the 2018 Tournament of Stars presented by Major League Baseball on Wednesday. The staff, which is made up of former professional players, respected collegiate and high school coaches, as well as Major League scouts, will guide and evaluate this year's athlete in the event at the USA Baseball National Training Complex June 18-23 in Cary, North Carolina.

The coaching staff and task force will assist the 18U National Team staff in identifying athletes to be invited to the USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials. The 2018 Trials will be held immediately following the Tournament of Stars June 25-28.

American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Famer and former Clemson head coach Jack Leggett has been tapped to lead the 2018 18U National Team as it looks for its fifth consecutive gold medal at the COPABE Pan American "AAA" Championships.

This year's Tournament of Stars participants will be divided into four teams of 20 players (Brave, Free, Pride, and United), and each team staff will be comprised of a manager, assistant coach and pitching coach.

Atlanta Braves' Special Assistant to Baseball Operations, and 19-year MLB veteran, Fred McGriff, will manage the Free team. Trip Couch will join McGriff as the team's assistant coach, while Robert Woodard will serve as pitching coach.

Royce Clayton, who played on the 18U National Team in 1987 and is currently the head coach at Oaks Christian School (Westlake, Calif.), will take the helm of the Pride team. Mark Ross and Steve Stone will join Clayton on staff.

Former East Carolina University head coach and current New York Yankees scout, Billy Godwin, has been named the manager of the Brave team. Eric DuBose and Chris Carter will serve on the Brave staff as the pitching and assistant coaches, respectively.

Finally, Marc Rardin, who is currently the head coach at Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs, Iowa), will guide the United team as the manager. He will be joined by Tyler Kincaid as the pitching coach and former MLB All-Star Tony Womack will round out the staff as the assistant coach.

A four-person task force and two rovers will also assist the national team and Tournament of Stars coaching staffs in overseeing the event. Detroit Tigers scout Taylor Black will lead the task force, with Travis Coleman, Ryan Goll and Matt Williams assisting him. John Hendricks will serve as the pitching rover for the event, while Jeff Kunkel will be the 2018 position rover, assisting the task force and staff with evaluating and identifying players for consideration.

The Tournament of Stars is made up of 80 of the best baseball players in the country that are international age-eligible (Born January 1, 2000 or 2001) for 18U National Team consideration. The event serves as the primary pool of talent from which USA Baseball will select its team to compete in the 2018 COPABE Pan American "AAA" Championships in Panama City, Panama, November 23-December 2. Team USA is the four-time defending champions in the event.

Taylor Black is currently a scout for the Detroit Tigers. Prior to that role, he served as an assistant coach at North Carolina State University. He is returning to the Tournament of Stars task force in 2018 after serving in this role for the 2017 and 2016 tournaments. Before he started coaching, Black played collegiately at the University of Kentucky and professionally in the minor leagues until 2013.

This is Chris Carter's third year as a coach at the Tournament of Stars, as he served in the same role in both 2017 and 2016. He was also a member of the coaching staff for the 2017 18U National Team that won the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup gold medal. In addition, he was an assistant coach for the 17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) in 2016 and 2017. Carter is the athletic director at Woodmont High School in Piedmont, South Carolina, and held the same position at nearby Easley High School from 2009-2013. Carter was a catcher at Clemson University in the 1990s and formerly served as the head baseball coach at Easley and Byrnes high schools from 1998-2008, prior to transitioning into an administrative role.

Royce Clayton will coach at the Tournament of Stars for the second year in a row in 2018 but his first experience with USA Baseball came in 1987 when he played for the 18U National Team. He played for 17 years in the Major Leagues from 1991-2007 after being selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the San Francisco Giants in 1988. He currently serves as the head coach at Oaks Christian School (Westlake, Calif.).

Travis Coleman is currently a scout for the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros. He played collegiate baseball for Auburn University before starting his scouting career in 2014 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. Coleman is also the owner of the Pro Elite Academy, a baseball and athlete development company.

Trip Couch returns to the USA Baseball coaching ranks after previously serving as a coach at the Tournament of Stars. He also held an administrion role with the 1999 Collegiate National Team as he was the team's Delegation Head/Business Manager. Currently the director of baseball player development at the University of South Carolina, Couch has spent time coaching at University of Lousiana-Lafayette, University of Houston and University of Texas, as well as serving as a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Most recently, he was an assistant coach at Houston where he helped lead the Cougars to four straight American Athletic Conference championship games and the tournament title in 2017.

Eric DuBose is no stranger to USA Baseball, having played for the 1994 18U National Team and the 1995 and 1996 Collegiate National Teams. DuBose was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being selected with the 21st overall pick in the 1997 MLB draft. He made his Major League debut in 2002 for the Baltimore Orioles and was with the organization until his retirement in 2007. He is currently a pitching coach for the East Coast Sox organization.

Billy Godwin is a former college head coach who led Louisburg College from 1999-2005 and East Carolina University from 2006-2014. He was named Coach of the Year by the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association in 2002 and 2007, and guided East Carolina to a Conference USA title and NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2009. Godwin played collegiately at Atlantic Christian College, now Barton College, and is currently an area scout for the New York Yankees. 2018 marks Godwin's second time coaching at the Tournament of Stars, having also appeared on the staff in 2016.

Ryan Goll will serve as a member of the 2018 Tournament of Stars Task Force and will be the bullpen catcher at the event. In 2017, he also served on the task force and as a bullpen catcher for the 18U National Team Trials. Goll is currently a student manager at the University of Minnesota.

John Hendricks previously coached in the Tournament of Stars in 2015 and 2016. He is currently a scout for the New York Mets. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native, played collegiately at Wake Forest University and was drafted by the New York Mets in the 14th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. Hendricks, who pitched in the Mets organization for two years, is the Demon Deacons' program leader in career innings pitched, career strikeouts and career victories.

Currently in his third year as the pitching coach at Kansas State University, Tyler Kincaid started his coaching career 17 years ago. In that time, he has worked at the high school and collegiate levels. In his first year with the Wildcats, the pitching staff finished the season third in program history for total strikeouts in a single season with 440. He served as an assistant coach at University of San Diego prior to his time with Kansas State and 21 of his pitchers were selected in the MLB draft during his six seasons.

Jeff Kunkel is currently an area scout for the Detroit Tigers, covering the upper Midwest. Prior to his scouting role, Kunkel served as a bullpen catcher for the team and played six seasons (2006-11) in the organization's minor league system. He also played collegiately at the University of Michigan where he earned All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2006 as a senior. That year he hit .335 with 38 runs scored, 15 doubles and 28 RBI, while leading the team to Big Ten regular season and tournament championships. He also served as a coach at the 2017 USA Baseball 17U National Team Development Program (NTDP).

For the second year in a row, five-time All-Star Fred McGriff will coach at the Tournament of Stars. McGriff played 19 seasons in MLB from 1986-2004. He spent five of those seasons with the Atlanta Braves, where he helped the team to a World Series Championship in 1995. He also won three Silver Slugger Awards throughout his time in the big leagues and finished his career with 493 home runs. Following his playing career, he returned to Atlanta where the Braves hired him as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations in 2015.

Scott Meaney will serve as the cross-checking scout at the 2018 Tournament of Stars. Meaney spent four years on the baseball team at the University of Massachusetts before graduating and joining the staff as the team's pitching coach. He is currently serving as a scout for the Cleveland Indians.

Rardin is in his 14th season as the head coach at Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs, Iowa). During his tenure, the IWCC Reivers won two Junior College World Series titles in three years (2010 and 2012). They have tallied 18 post-season titles in 11 seasons under Rardin, which is better than any other Division I junior college program in the U.S. over the last 10 years. Rardin re-joins the Tournament of Stars coaching staff after working at the event in 2014 and 2015.

Currently a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Mark Ross will coach at the Tournament of Stars for the second consecutive year. Ross played in the Major Leagues for six years with the Astros, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished his professional career with a 3.83 ERA. Prior to his time in MLB, Ross played at Texas A&M and was a member of the 1978 USA Baseball National Team that won a silver medal at the XXIV Baseball World Cup.

Steve Stone returns to the Tournament of Stars coaching ranks in 2018 after coaching in the event in 2017 and 2016. He is in his 19th year as the head baseball coach at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas. In total, Stone has 23 years of coaching experience, previously spending time at Rider and Euless Trinity high schools. He is a former standout catcher at Texas Christian University, where he was named team MVP in 1988.

Matt Williams is a scout for the Minnesota Twins. He spent seven years in the minor leagues, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. He played collegiately at Liberty University before being drafted in the 15th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Cardinals.

Tony Womack spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues after being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 7th round of the 1991 MLB Draft. In that time, he played for the Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. He was a member of the Diamondbacks team that won the World Series in 2001 and was an All-Star for the Pirates in 1997. Womack also led the league in stolen bases from 1997-1999 and was the MLB leader in triples in 2000. He finished his career with a .273 average and 363 stolen bases.

Robert Woodard is in his second year as the pitching coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Virginia Tech. Prior to joining the Hokies staff in 2013, Woodard coached at UNC, his alma mater, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Woodard is the Tar Heels' all-time winningest pitcher with a record of 34-5 and spent three years in the San Diego Padres' farm system after being selected in the 20th round of the 2007 MLB Draft. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has also coached for the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod League. In 2016, Woodard made his Tournament of Stars debut as a pitching rover at the event and returned to the event in 2017 as a coach. He also served as a coach at the 2016 17U NTDP.

USA Baseball Reveals 2018 Tournament of Stars Dates

DURHAM, N.C. - The 2018 USA Baseball Tournament of Stars will take place from June 18-23, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, the organization revealed on Thursday.

Players will arrive on Sunday, June 17 and participate in a newly added team practice on Monday, June 18. The teams will then play games June 19-21, take part in an evaluation day on Friday, June 22, followed by the gold and bronze medal games on Saturday, June 23. All the athletes will depart on Sunday, June 24.

The bronze and gold games will once again be streamed live on MLB.com and USABaseball.com.

The Tournament of Stars is made up of 80 of the best baseball players in the country that are international age-eligible (Born January 1, 2000 or 2001) for 18U National Team consideration. The event serves as the primary pool of talent from which USA Baseball will select its team to compete in the 2018 COPABE Pan Am 'AAA' Championships.

Team USA is the four-time defending Pan Am champion and will look to add a fifth consecutive gold medal in 2018. The program's last gold came at the 2016 event, as Team USA claimed the title with a 6-1 victory over Cuba in the gold medal game.

The 2016 squad featured four players that were selected in the first round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including Royce Lewis, who was selected first overall by the Minnesota Twins, and Hunter Greene, who was taken second overall by the Cincinnati Reds.

More information on the international event schedule for the 2018 18U National Team will be released at a later date on USABaseball.com.

CARY, N.C. - It was a tale of two games on day two of the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars (TOS) at the USA Baseball National Training Complex on Wednesday.

Pitching was the story in the first contest as four Brave pitchers combined on a one-hitter in a 3-0 victory over United.

Offense ruled the day in the second half of the doubleheader where Free sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth en route to a 6-3 triumph over Pride.

All four teams in the tournament now hold 1-1 records, meaning Thursday's games will act as a de facto semifinal with the winners moving on to Saturday's gold-medal contest.

Brave 3, United 0

A trio of Peach Staters paced an impressive Brave effort on the mound Tuesday with Ethan Hankins (Cumming, Ga.) and Justin Wrobleski (Canton, Ga.) each striking out four batters over three shutout stanzas and Davis Sharpe (Dacula, Ga.) adding two more scoreless innings. Mateo Gil (Keller, Texas) pitched a perfect ninth to earn the save.

Some heads-up baserunning in the fourth by Will Banfield (Lawrencville, Ga.), who led the frame off with a single, got the scoring started for the Brave. United was able to get two quick outs after his base hit, but Brandon Howlett (Lakeland, Fla.) followed by punching a single back up the middle. As he reached third, Banfield saw the defense taking its time getting the ball back to the infield and raced home to score the game's first run.

Howlett, meanwhile, was able to move up to third on the play as the throw to the plate behind Sharpe got away from the catcher. Timothy Borden II (Sellersburg, Ind.) then made it a 2-0 game with a single to right.

A sacrifice fly by Matthew McLain (Tustin, Calif.) in the ninth accounted for the game's final score.

Free 6, Pride 3

In the second half of Wednesday's doubleheader, Free doubled-up Pride, 6-3, scoring all of its runs in the fifth inning, including five with two outs.

Carter Young paced the offensive effort, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI. Two of those hits came in the fifth, the first of which tied the game up at 1-1.

Pride would go on to get a couple of quick outs after Young's base hit but Free followed with eight consecutive batters reaching base. During the outburst, Rece Hinds (Niceville, Fla.) had a two-run single and both Alexander Binelas (Oak Creek, Wis.) and Cory Acton (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) tacked on tallies with RBI singles.

Mason Englert (Forney, Texas) earned the win with four innings of one-run ball and Lenny Torres (Beacon, N.Y.) held Pride scoreless over the last two frames to pick up the save.

The USA Baseball Tournament of Stars (TOS) is made up of 80 of the nation's best ballplayers that are international age-eligible for 18U National Team consideration (born in 1999 or later). Following the conclusion of the Tournament of Stars, the 40-man Trials roster will be announced on Monday, July 10, during the 2017 MLB All-Star Fanfest festivities in Miami, Florida.

Those 40 players will then compete in USA Baseball's 18U National Team trials process in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August for a spot on the final 20-man roster which will travel to Thunder Bay, Canada for the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 World Cup, Sept. 1-10. Team USA is the three-time defending World Cup champion and will look to become the second country to win four-straight gold medals in the tournament.

QUOTEABLE:United Pitching Coach Willie Banks:
"Our hitting today just needed to be a little bit more patient. You have to swing at good pitches to get good hits. We swung at some bad pitches and when you're not patient the game isn't going to come to you. I though our pitching did well. We gave up three runs but one was unearned. I thought we had better pitching then them but the scoreboard won't lie."

Brave Pitching Coach Robert Woodward:
"I thought the catchers called great games on both sides and fought for some strikes and that translates to the mound. I saw great competitiveness with guys pitching to win and good pitching from both lefties and righties. We told them in our first meeting as a staff to stay with their strengths and use what got them here and I think they've done that."

Pride Manager Royce Clayton:
"We had one fluke inning with some tough bounces but that's baseball. The good thing is that guys kept their heads up kept battling and we got ourselves back in the ball game. I told these guys to keep battling and things will come together for us. Our defense was good and I liked our pitching. On both sides you aren't going to see any shabby pitching out there. I think the talent evens out and shows what there is in this country and how great it is to be selected in the top 80 players. I am enjoying my time out here. It is an honor and I just can't wait for tomorrow."

Free Manager Jack Leggett:
"We had a much better approach today. It was good to see us a little more patient and get some good twoout hits from some guys. I was happy with our pitching and defense as well, with some good plays in center field and over at first base with balls in the dirt. I thought overall we played a pretty clean game. Hitting with two outs is what makes or breaks a team sometimes and we were fortunate to get some big hits with two outs. We didn't have much momentum coming in from yesterday so it was good to see some get started in that fifth inning."